Ilse Bolle

Crossing Trails
handmade paper, tamarisk, waxed
18 x 18 each (60 x 60 in. total)

I have earned a B.S. in Art Education and a M.A. in Studio Art with a concentration in fiber arts from Northern Illinois University. I maintain a studio in Chicago while teaching art in the public school system. My fiber constructions have received several awards, have been exhibited and are being collected internationally and have appeared in ‘Fiberart’ Design Books III, IV and V along with professional magazines.
Experiences in my personal life are the primary inspiration for my work. The design of each piece is influenced by my interest in traditional and contemporary fiber techniques. I appreciate natural materials for their warmth and subtlety of monochromatic color and their richness in textures. I enjoy slight, tactile imperfections and often emphasize them for their organic beauty. Each piece, conceptually, starts out as a perfect form. In life and nature, elements and forces in and beyond our control alter form and leave their marks. Gaps and crevices, trails and bridges allow entry to or exit out of real and symbolic spaces holding experiences, attitudes and desires.

© Ilse Bolle